
Class 


J5 I 7S3 

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Rook 




PRESENTED BY 



(HRIST'S plan 







°e SALVATION. 



Cfrrisfs plan 
of Salvation. 



"If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take tip his cross daily, 
and follow me." 



fir 



<£ 



A BIBLE STUDY. 



BY 



SAMUEL F. COOK. 



<£ 



LANSING, MICH. 
J896. 






PRESS OF THOMPSON & VANBUREN, 
LANSING, MICH. 



Christ's Plan of Salvation* 



" And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after 
me, is not worthy of me."— Matthew, 10-38, 

" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross, and follow me." — Matthew, 16-24. 

" Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross and follow me." — Mark, 8-34. 

" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross daily, and follow me." — Luke, 9-23. 

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come 
after me, cannot be my disciple." — Luke, 14-27. 

The law given to Moses on the mount Sinai, 
made provision for a religion of works : an 
unceasing round of outward duties. He who 
realized that he had broken the law and needed 
forgiveness for his sin, might prove his con- 
trition by bringing to the priest an offering 
whose burning fragrance might appeal to 
Heaven in his behalf. While this could avail 
to secure him the pardon he sought, when in 
the heart of the worshiper there was true 



4 CHRIST'S PLAN 

repentance toward God, and an earnest intent 
to "lead a new life, following the command- 
ments of God blameless," there is ample 
evidence that the Israelites, as a people, soon 
forgot all except the making of the offerings, 
with the lofty pageantry accompanying them, 
and failed in the heart portion of the worship 
and service. And so through all the years, 
and along the ages, they plodded on with 
the continual round of thank offerings, sin 
offerings, first fruits offerings, birth offer- 
ings, solemn feasts and days of rejoicing, in 
the attempt to obey the commands of their 
religion by the doing of those things laid 
down in the Mosaic law, and thus to prove a 
desire to be at peace with the one true God 
who had so wonderfully made of them a 
people. 

The purposes of God in the mission of the 
long foretold Messiah were too divine for the 
comprehension of the average humanity prior 
to, as well as at the time of his coming. 
Thoroughly cured of the sin of idolatry as 
the result of the Babylonish captivity, the 
teachers of the law had added thereto a vast 






OF SALVATION. 5 

number of observances and rules for living, 
obedience to which was urged upon the people 
with more earnestness than even the require- 
ments of the law itself, and the religious teach- 
ings were based on the central conception that 
individual peace with the offended Deity, and 
His favor for the nation, of which so small a 
remnant was remaining, were to be secured 
only by the constant doing of certain things, 
and the equally constant refraining from other 
things. The underlying spiritual intent of the 
teachings of the law and the prophets seems to 
have been beyond their comprehension. 

But when the fullness of time had come for 
the one great sacrificial atonement which had 
been shadowed forth in the law and proclaimed 
in the lofty imagery of the prophetic poets, 
the Christ made his advent, and "by his obla- 
tion of himself once offered," made " a full, 
perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and 
satisfaction for the sins of the whole world." 
By this sacrifice so ample, Christ did away 
with the offerings and rites which were a 
necessary part of a system of salvation works, 
and inaugurated the reign of salvation by faith, 



6 CHRIST'S PLAN 

as the central essence of the gospel of love, as 
compared with the former dispensation of fear. 
In the five similar passages which we are 
considering, Christ laid down with a wonder- 
ful precision of words, the doctrine of salvation 
by faith — the central conception of his mission. 
It is worthy of notice, that while Matthew and 
Luke each have two passages, and Mark one, 
setting forth the doctrines of self-abnegation 
and acceptance of the atonement as a necessary 
requisite to salvation, John, the beloved dis- 
ciple, who more fully than any other of the 
sacred writers proclaimed the love of God for 
his fallen children, makes no allusion to this 
apparently important phase of the teaching of 
our Lord. It is still more noteworthy that not 
one of the epistles contains any reference to 
these declarations of Christ, nor do they set 
forth any line of thought by which we may 
be aided to a clear understanding of the teach- 
ing of the Master herein contained. Owing 
to this failure on the part of the early writers, 
it is not strange that these words of Christ 
have been so largely misconstrued, and even 
wrested into a foundation for the doctrines 



OF SALVATION. 7 

they were, I am led to believe, intended to 
overthrow. 

Following the third century of the christian 
era, there arose a class of ascetics and philo- 
sophical theorists, who seized on these words 
with a rare avidity, and from them, and the 
aid of their inner consciousness, evolved the 
doctrine of penance, which was so severely in 
vogue throughout the dark ages, and which 
to-day is one of the standard tenets of the 
Roman church. 

The command of Christ that his followers 
take up their cross and follow him, is plainly 
prophetic and figurative. And yet, to the 
saints and martyrs of the early church, it had 
a sadly significant and literal meaning ; for 
many, very many of them, bore to the place 
of their crucifixion the timbers upon which, 
and by means of which, their redeemed spirits 
were set free from the tenements of clay, 
and allowed " to depart and be with Christ." 
While it is evident that all of those who have 
named the name of Christ are not required to 
suffer torture for that name, and in defense of 
their faith, it is not to be doubted that it would 



S CHRIST'S PLAN 

be the duty of each one of us, if thus put to 
the test, to attest with our lives the confidence 
we have in the adorable Redeemer. The 
command is not that we be crucified daily, but 
that we take up the cross daily. In the earlier 
years of the establishment of His kingdom 
upon earth, it seemed necessary that He should 
have many of these strong witnesses to the 
power of the gospel over death and the grave, 
but since it has become evident that death has 
no terrors for those who confess the Lord 
Christ, the rage for their blood has ceased, 
and the foes of the christian are chiefly those 
of his own heart. 

The Romish doctrine of penance for sins 
has had no little influence upon the dogmatism 
of the Protestant churches, and ever and anon 
crops out as well in the instructions of the 
pulpit as in the lives of those who are striving 
to " make their calling and election sure." 
This doctrine of penance is based on the idea 
that the body is the home of sin : that were 
the spirit free from the body, the incentives to 
evil would be so far removed as that the spirit 
might aspire to absolute purity. But since it 



OF SALVATION. g 

is not lawful to throw off the body and free 
the spirit from its control, it was taught that 
the body should be so abased and tortured as 
that the spirit should be able to gain the mas- 
tery. With this view, during the dark ages, 
the church taught that the body must be made 
to suffer, in order that through that suffering 
it might be purified. To this end the devotee 
practiced scourgings, severe, and sometimes 
barbarous ; the coarsest kinds of food were 
used, and very little even of that, taken ; a 
wire shirt w^as worn ; he slept on a bed of 
stone or on a filthy pallet of straw ; he made 
pilgrimages to shrines, going long distances 
upon his knees, or entirely prostrate upon the 
earth, drew himself along in imitation of a vile 
worm. But this became, whatever it may 
have been to its founders, a religion of works. 
The devotee came by the natural processes of 
the human mind, to take pride in his outward 
abasement. There was lacking that humility 
of the heart of which his abuse of the body 
was but an outward indication. Although 
there was an evident crucifixion of the body, 
the heart retained its inherent pride. 



io CHRIST'S PLAN 

Any effort after the performance of good 
works, is but a sure evidence of the unwilling- 
ness to repose implicit confidence in the atone- 
ment of Christ, and its efficacy to accomplish 
the present and eternal salvation of the soul. 
It is a certain indication that he who thus 
labors to perform meritorious acts, is inclined 
to attempt thereby to work out his own purifi- 
cation and salvation, as though fearing that 
God and His Son are unable to bring about so 
grand a result. Or else, governed by an 
insatiate pride, he scorns to leave so great a 
work to God alone, but proposes to bring 
about his own redemption by the doing of 
those things which he knows to be right in 
themselves, and by sedulously abstaining from 
those things which his moral sense and the law 
of God indicate to him are wrong. But this 
mode of procedure is not in accord with the 
gospel of Christ. 

That we should feel our unworthiness of 
God's mercies is right ; that we should realize 
the depth to which we have fallen, in common 
with all mankind, is a necessity ; that we should 
confess to God our manifold sins and wicked- 



OF SALVATION, u 

ness, our proneness to evil, and the need we 
have of divine assistance, is also a necessity ; 
but if we claim for this any virtue, we are 
sadly in error. 

In the several passages which we are discus- 
sing, our Lord lays down three conditions 
requisite, and as I apprehend, three conditions 
absolutely requisite, to a conformance to the 
plan of God for the salvation of man. "If any 
man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross daily, and follow me." 
Here are presented as necessary, denial of self, 
taking up of the cross, and following after 
Him. 

First then, what did the Savior intend when 
he said, "If any man will come after me, let 
him deny himself? " In what does this denial 
of self consist? The English word deny, as 
used in this place, seems to me to have been 
very largely misconstrued. The Greek word 
used by our Lord signifies "to deny utterly." 
Like very many other words in our language, 
this word "deny" has a wide variety of signifi- 
cation. If I mistake not, it has usually been 
taken to mean, in these passages, that to deny 



12 CHRIST'S PLAN 

one's self, is to decline the gratification of 
appetites and desires ; in other words, to prac- 
tice what is termed " self denial." But it must 
be remembered that Christ is here stating the 
conditions of salvation. Under the Mosaic 
law, this was to be accomplished only by the 
intermediary of offerings upon the altar, after 
the shedding of the blood of the victim. 
Under the new dispensation, the offering hav- 
ing been made once for all, it only became 
necessary for the truly penitent to avail himself 
of the results of that offering "made once for 
all, for the sins of the whole world." But now 
if we construe this word "deny," as bearing in 
these passages, one of the other proper signi- 
fications, viz., to disclaim connection with, or 
to disclaim responsibility for, so that the pas- 
sage might read, "If any man will come after 
me, let him disclaim any connection with the 
bringing about his salvation," we shall gain an 
understanding of these passages which will 
be in accord not only with the other teachings 
of the gospel, but gain an added light on the 
true signification of the taking up of the cross. 
The practice of self-denial, as a means of 



OF SALVATION. 13 

working out our salvation, is not at all in 
accord with the plan of the gospel for the 
redemption of man. Self-denials, as a result 
of being redeemed, and of the promptings of 
the divine spirit within us, are no doubt, a part 
of a true following of Christ. Self-denials, 
practiced as a means to an end, are sure to 
result in a self satisfied condition of the mind 
and heart, since having done those things 
which are distasteful to us, we are too apt to 
feel that we have done something for which 
we ought to be rewarded. 

If then we would come after Christ, let us 
deny that we are able in any way to aid in the 
redemption of our souls, or to make our lives 
in accord with the mind of Christ ; let us dis- 
claim any responsibility in the matter ; let us 
deny the proposition that it is possible for us to 
aid in our salvation. In other words, let us 
agree that only God alone is competent to 
accomplish the salvation of our souls, and bring 
us at the last to a home with Him. He has 
undertaken for us ; let us deny ourselves in 
this matter, and accept His proffered aid. 

But this denying of ourselves is not so easy 



14 CHRIST'S PLAN 

or so simple as may be supposed. It comes 
squarely athwart the pride and independence 
of the human heart. To acknowledge that we 
are sinners, is bad enough, but to acknowledge 
that we are in no way competent to save our- 
selves, to change our lives so as that they shall 
be in accord with the laws of right, to live in 
accord with those laws, and to make our way 
to the celestial city by our own efforts, and 
ascend to the presence of the Father as a result 
of having earned a right to be there, is not an 
easy thing to do. Especially is this true of a 
man full of manly vigor, and intent on being 
thoroughly a man. Such an one scorns assist- 
ance in the every day affairs of life, and prides 
himself on his ability to meet any of the mis- 
chances which befall, with steady nerve and 
unflinching purpose. Feeling strong in him- 
self he feels able to bring his tempers, passions, 
appetites, under proper control, and to live a 
life filled with the christian graces. How 
shall such an one bring himself to acknowl- 
edge that he is incapable of at least aiding in 
the work of his salvation? To deny himself, 
and acknowledge that he must be the bene- 



OF SALVATION. 15 

ficiary of the atonement, without having any- 
thing of his own to place on the credit side of 
the account, is too debasing for a man who 
feels his nobleness, and his ability to cope with 
the greatest difficulties. But Jesus said, "If 
any man will come after me, let him deny 
himself :" and that word deny is in the imper- 
ative mood. 

Let us now inquire what our Lord meant 
when he said, "and take up his cross." The 
word used by the evangelists, and which is 
translated "cross," meant primarily, a stake, or 
a pole ; and came to be used as the name of 
the two joined pieces of timber on which the 
Romans were accustomed to nail their criminal 
offenders, and then place in an upright posi- 
tion, while the miserable victim suffered untold 
torture which resulted finally in his death. 
The word used by our writers, and which is 
translated "let him take up," contains no idea 
of bearing, as the carrying a load, but rather 
that he who will come after Christ must take 
up, or set up his cross. In one view of this 
declaration of Christ, it was prophetic. Jesus 
had not yet paid the penalty for the sins of the 



16 CHRIST S PLAN 

human race, by an expiation on the cross, and 
I apprehend that not one of those who heard 
him utter these words, had at the time, any 
conception of their meaning. What was this 
cross that those who will come after Christ, 
must take up? The usual conception of the 
meaning of this command, is, I apprehend, 
as was shown by some one of the great artists 
of the middle ages, as a man struggling along 
a path bearing on his back a heavy cross, the 
timbers of which were wholly out of proportion 
to the size of the man. The man was shown 
as bending so far forward as that his hands 
might touch the ground in front of him, were 
they not engaged in the struggle to hold the 
heavy timbers upon his back. The artist 
depicted his cross bearer as a man of finest 
athletic build, his muscles standing out bold 
and strong ; but so heavy was the load he was 
carrying that those muscles were knotted under 
the fearful strain which they were undergoing, 
even the muscles of the head and face giving 
evidence of the almost overpowering load 
under which he was being weighed down, 
while the sweat stood in great drops upon his 



OF SALVATION. 17 

brow, thus showing an intensity of pain. 

The cross which our Lord commands us to 
take up, if we would come after him, is no 
such heavy load which we are to carry, as was 
there shown. More than this, let us clearly 
realize that it would be an unwarrantable 
torture of the words of Christ, to draw there- 
from any idea of carrying any load at all. The 
word means simply, to lift up, to set up. It is 
not that we are to take up a load and carry it ; 
we are to lift up our cross, set it up, and then 
follow Christ. 

Not infrequently we hear christians speak 
of the heavy crosses they have been called 
upon to bear, when referring to some of the 
ordinary every day providences which befall 
the bad and good alike. Others speak of the 
bereavement of friends, as crosses which they 
find it difficult to bear. Others, when speaking 
of the divers temptations which beset them, call 
them heavy crosses, — burdens which weigh 
them down and cause them to sink under the 
load. Christ said that the burden which he 
imposed on his followers, is light. Surely, 
those things which are common to the race, 



18 CHRIST'S PLAN 

and in no way peculiar to the followers of 
Christ, cannot be regarded as crosses. Those 
who have no regard for God, have their friends 
taken from them ; those who disdain to claim the 
atonement of Christ in their behalf, endure 
the loss of property, and suffer severely there- 
by ; even those who are positively wicked, are 
beset with temptations, to which they usually 
yield, but they are for all that temptations as 
really as any which a christian has to with- 
stand ; those who are making a hard struggle 
to accomplish their own salvation by right 
living, without any aid from the Redeemer of 
the race, suffer defamation of character and 
the buffetings of the evil one as severe as any 
which come to those who put their confidence, 
trust and hope in the promises of God through 
His Son. Neither can we regard those provi- 
dences which befall us, and which a keen per- 
ception of the intent of our loving Father in 
Heaven readily sees are for the purposes of 
discipline and correction, as in any sense a 
lifting or taking up of the cross. Those who 
scorn to bow in obedience to the law of God 
receive similar chidings and reproof for their 



OF SALVATION. i 9 

misdeeds, but pay no heed thereto, unless it be 
with their muttered curses ; while the true 
christian heeds the reproof, and thanks God 
that he is counted worthy to be reminded of 
his shortcomings. 

Not infrequently, pastors exhort their people 
to bear the cross, by the taking part in the 
exercises of the social meetings, — in audible 
prayer, and in giving testimony to the truths 
of the gospel. Not infrequently, we hear 
people in the exercises of the social meetings, 
avow their willingness to bear the cross, their 
bearing of the cross consisting of the declara- 
tion that they are striving to be christians, and 
asking for the prayers of their fellows. While 
all these exercises of the social meetings are 
right, proper, and to some extent necessary, 
we cannot find that they are more than remotely 
connected with the lifting up of the cross. 
These exercises are spoken of as difficult of 
accomplishment, and hence as heavy crosses to 
bear. While a testimony to the efficacy of 
the atonement is a lifting up of the cross, in 
the sense which the word in the original will 
allow, viz., to extoll, it cannot be that even the 



20 CHRIST'S PLAN 

extolling of the great author and finisher of our 
salvation can be a burden to those who have 
tasted and know the truths of Christ's gospel. 
Would it be any less difficult for those who 
feel that it is a heavy load for them to rise to 
their feet and tell to those in full sympathy 
with them what they know of the power of 
redeeming love, than it would be to speak in 
the same manner on any other subject? I 
think not. Very few out of the whole num- 
ber of our people feel at all at home and free 
with words, when on their feet in a public 
assembly. Most of us if called on for our 
opinions on any of the subjects of general 
interest, in such a manner as to make it proper 
to rise to our feet and give expression to 
thought, would find that we suffered under the 
same feeling of diffidence, and experienced 
the same lack of words to express ourselves. 
Our natural diffidence, and failure to familiar- 
ize ourselves with public speaking and think- 
ing on our feet, cannot, I think, be urged as 
creating a burden to be borne and regarded 
as a christian duty. 
Just here, I must indulge in a parenthesis. 



OF SALVATION. 21 

Why is it regarded as a difficult thing, to rise 
in a gathering of christians, all of them in 
sympathy, all striving to follow Christ, all 
beset with the same difficulties, doubts and 
fears, and give expression to our experiences 
in the christian life? An illustration suggests 
itself to me as applicable in this instance. If 
any one of us had been very sick, in such 
manner as that the very best of medical assis- 
tance had been necessary, and under that assis- 
tance recovery had been made, would there be 
any hesitation or lack of words in speaking the 
praise of the doctor whose skill had brought 
us through? Would it be a burden to speak 
to our friends of his skill, and of our gratitude 
not only to him, but that his aid had been 
sought by our friends in our behalf ? But we 
were very sick with sin ; sicker by far than 
we appreciated. There was no help for us. 
We were lost. Ruined by the fall, we were 
still farther undone by the trend of our own 
hearts toward evil. But God himself under- 
took for us. He against whom we had sinned 
and done wickedly, himself brought salvation 
nigh. The triune God sent to earth the second 



CHRIST'S PLAN 



person in the Trinity, to bring us back into 
unison with the mind of God. "To earth the 
great Redeemer came, that we might come to 
Heaven." On Calvary He paid the debt, the 
debt beyond compare, even the debt of the 
whole human race, and made it possible, if we 
will but accept the proffered benefit, that we 
may yet be the sons of the Lord Almighty. 
And yet, how many of us who have vowed to 
accept the proffered mercy, who have solemnly 
on bended knees promised to follow Christ, 
lifting up our cross, hesitate and shrink from 
declaring our faith and love for Him who has 
bought us with his own blood, even the blood 
shed on Calvary's rugged mount. We cer- 
tainly would not treat any earthly friend so ill. 
But to return to our argument. It will be 
noticed that while three of our text passages, 
one each from Matthew, Mark and Luke are 
stated in the conditional form, two of them, 
one from Matthew and one from Luke, state 
the proposition positively. It may be noted 
also, that while the passages which are stated 
in the conditional form, "If any man will come 
after me," have also the command, "let him 



OF SALVATION. 23 

deny himself ;" while those which are in the 
positive form, are also in the negative, and con- 
tain no mention of the necessity for the exercise 
of self abnegation in the matter of our salva- 
tion. Matthew says, 10:38, "And he that 
taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is 
not worthy of me;" and Luke, 14:27 says, 
u And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and 
come after me, cannot be my disciple." The 
word used by Matthew in the last passage 
mentioned, signifies to take, in the sense of 
grasping, but not in any way does it contain 
the idea of carrying, or bearing up under. In 
the latter passage from Luke, the word which 
is translated "doth bear," properly signifies "to 
lift up, to raise, and hence metaphorically to 
praise, to laud." 

It should not be forgotten that in each of the 
passages we are discussing, the cross which is 
to be lifted up, is an individual cross, and the 
several passages might very properly have 
been rendered, "and take up his own cross." 

We come now to consider the question as to 
what our Lord meant when he used the word 
"cross" in the sayings recorded in our several 



24 CHRIST'S PLAN 

texts. We think that we may justly assume 
that no passage of scripture can be justly con- 
strued except by a comparison with all others 
of like import, and with the sacred writings as 
a whole. In our studies of these texts, we 
have endeavored to adhere to this rule. We 
find that under the Mosaic law, without the 
shedding of blood there was no remission of 
sins. We find that it was obligatory for each 
individual, when he would crave the pardon 
which he felt himself to need, when he would 
endeavor to win the favor of his offended God, 
that he must himself bring an animal, without 
spot or blemish, to the priest, who there before 
the alter, slew the victim, and while the peni- 
tent offered his prayers that his offering might 
be accepted, and that the pardon asked might 
be granted, the priest offered the flesh upon 
the altar, having first sprinkled the blood 
thereon. The old dispensation was in all 
respects a type of the new. 

And yet, while under the old dispensation, 
the penitent must needs approach and make his 
plea by the aid of a priest, under the new, as is 
shown in our texts, he must take up his own 



OF SALVATION. 2 5 

cross or offerings, and appear before God in 
his own person and make his own plea in 
abatement of the penalty for sins. The atone- 
ment on the cross was not for the collective 
human race, but for them individually ; for each 
one in his separate person. While Christ died 
for us, he died for you, for me. If then we 
would come after Christ, we must take our 
offering, even Him who was slain, as a lamb 
without spot, an offering which cannot be 
refused at the throne of high Heaven. If we 
would come after Christ, we must disclaim any 
ability or even disposition to save ourselves, 
and take up the plea of the sacrifice made on 
the cross for us. Appearing before God with 
hearts truly yearning after His favor, and pre- 
senting as our only claim for the divine favor 
the sacrifice made upon the cross, abjuring 
every other claim to the divine mercy, and 
trusting in that alone, we may be assured that 
we shall be accepted through the merit of the 
adorable Redeemer. And this we must do 
daily. It is not enough that once, or even 
occasionally, we present our offering, even the 
atonement made by God's own Son, for us and 



26 CHRIST'S PLAN 

in our stead ; we must present our plea, we 
must, denying ourselves in the matter, lift up 
and lay before the Lord, the offering made in 
our stead and on our behalf, daily. It must be 
an every day exercise. Since under the Mosaic 
law none were allowed to appear before God 
to ask his favor, empty handed, no more may 
we. Nor may the offering be one of our own 
choosing. The law of Moses specified the 
offering to be brought and presented in each 
case of guilt or thankfulness; the law of 
Christ specifies that we shall present as our 
plea for recognition, either when we ask for- 
giveness for our transgressions, or ascribe our 
praises to the triune God for His manifold 
mercies to usward, the offering of Himself 
once made, even His death upon the cross, at 
each approach we make to the mercy seat. 
But these approaches are to be made every 
day. It is not enough that we bow in the 
public assembly on the Sabbath day, that at 
certain fixed times and occasions we ask the 
pardon we need, lifting up our offering of the 
atonement as our only plea ; we must every 
day present ourselves, our plea and our offer- 



OF SALVATION. 27 

ing, if we are at all intent on complying with 
the conditions under which we may hope to 
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of 
need. 

This taking up of the cross in such manner 
as to meet the demands of the gospel, is a mat- 
ter of no slight import ; it is a personal humil- 
iation beyond compare. Though we deny our- 
selves, rating our own ability in the task of 
salvation as nothing, and feel desirous of plac- 
ing ourselves in the hands of God, and of 
trusting to his divine clemency for salvation, 
we are not, by this, severely belittling our- 
selves in our own estimation, and the humilia- 
tion is not in any such degree as is that of the 
taking up of the cross. Jesus made expiation 
for our guilt, by a death on the cross. But it 
must not be forgotten that a death on the cross 
was the most ignominious of any that were 
in vogue at that time. It was the method 
of execution for the most abandoned of 
their criminals, the lowest of the malefactors. 
Jesus was condemned to death upon the cross 
for the very purpose of emphasizing his low 
character in their estimation, as compared with 



28 CHRIST'S PLAN 

his own claim that he was a king. The 
apostle says of him, — Phil., 2 : 7, — that he 
"made himself of no reputation, and took upon 
him the form of a servant, and was made in 
the likeness of men, and being found in fashion 
as a man, he humbled himself, and became 
obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross." Is it a matter of slight import, think 
you, that we, men and women, endowed with 
powers and attributes second only to our 
Maker, indeed made in His own image, must 
accept as our mediator with the injured Deity, 
the person of one who suffered with malefac- 
tors the most ignominious of deaths ? 

But if we humble ourselves to the degree 
that we earnestly avow our desire to be made 
partakers of the benefit of Christ's death and 
suffering, is our humiliation equal to that 
endured by Jesus in our behalf? The second 
person in the Holy Trinity, the Son, and hence 
heir of the Creator of the universe, in all the 
elements of divinity, coequal with the Father 
and in perfect accord with Him, so hum- 
bled himself that he took upon him the form of 
one of the common people, associated with the 



OF SALVATION. 2 9 

ignorant and those outside of the upper classes 
of the time, devoted his time to aiding the poor, 
teaching the ignorant, and finally as a low class 
criminal, suffered the death of the cross. Was 
ever any love like this? 

If now we would come after Christ, we 
must, denying any share in the work of redemp- 
tion on our own part, take up the cross of 
acceptance of the mediation of our Redeemer, 
Christ, making our only plea in this behalf, 
that for us the Saviour died ; we must accept 
the death on the cross as our individual atone- 
ment, and daily, lifting up the cross before 
the throne of Heaven, as the priests of old 
lifted the offerings, and laid them out on the 
altar, claim the acceptance of our offering in 
accordance with the promise left us that 
"him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast 
out." 

Do the conditions of salvation through Christ 
seem harsh? If you have sinned grievously 
against your neighbor, one who has been accus- 
tomed to befriend you in every way, one who 
has looked after your interests, perchance one 
who has actually saved your life, and whose 



jo CHRIST'S PLAN 

very honor, in your ungratefulness, you had 
assailed, would you think to be restored to his 
kindly regard except under such conditions as 
he might deem necessary to the preservation 
of his honor? Methinks that under such 
circumstances no conditions could be too 
severe. But the case between humanity and 
God was worse even than our supposed case ; 
can any conditions which Our Heavenly 
Father has found necessary to impose, be 
regarded as too severe? 

Perhaps our kind Father deemed this extreme 
humiliation on our part necessary, in order to 
test the sincerity of our approach to Him. Had 
He but made a royal road for us to travel, in 
our endeavor to reach Him, we could not so 
certainly evince our sense of our need of help 
from on High. Having shown an intensity of 
love for His fallen creatures, almost incompre- 
hensible in degree, by the gift of a very part 
of himself as an offering for our sins, it cer- 
tainly behooves us to be ready to evince our 
appreciation for this love so great, by the most 
perfect compliance with the conditions He has 
imposed, which are that we deny ourselves as 



OF SALVATION. 31 

agents in the matter of salvation, and make use 
of the atonement by lifting up the fact of the 
pardon purchased for us on the cross, and 
daily appearing before Him with our sacrifice 
and our plea in our behalf. In further proof 
of our sincerity, we are not to be content with 
the justifying grace bestowed in answer to our 
first approaches to Him, but each day we are 
to feel the urgent necessity for the reapplica- 
tion of the Redeemer's merits, and feeling thus, 
lift up, daily, the cross with all its hallowed 
influences and benefits. 

If now we have, urged thereto by a desire 
to come after Christ, been able to make full 
and complete denial of ourselves in regard to 
the bringing about of our salvation from the 
thralldom of sin which has bound us, and have 
been able to humble ourselves so that we have 
made acceptance of the proffered mercy, even 
the atonement made for us on Calvary, and 
have lifted up our cross, even lifting the expia- 
tion paid by the adorable Redeemer in our 
behalf, up before the throne of the Infinite 
mercy, and have been made to know that the 
sacrifice so great was accepted in our behalf, 



32 



CHRIST'S PLAN 



it is but meet and right, and it is our bounden 
duty, henceforth to follow Christ, according to 
his command. A royal potentate, the Son 
Most High of the King of Kings, he denied 
himself, and made himself of no reputation, 
and still further to benefit us, he humbled him- 
self, even to die upon the cross, covered with 
ignominy and shame. Can He ask less from 
us than that we follow Him, and follow Him 
daily? Can we claim any immunity from the 
terms laid down in our texts ? Shall we refuse 
to acknowledge our inability to save ourselves, 
or to apply in our behalf the sacrifice so won- 
derfully great, made by the loving Redeemer? 
But in our attempts to follow Christ, let us 
not forget that we are to be like him ; that we 
are to have the mind of Christ, the spirit of 
Christ, the compassion of Christ. We should 
not fail to give heed to all his suggestions for 
holy doing and holy living. We should not 
for a moment forget that Jesus devoted the 
greater portion of his time to the poor ; relieving 
their necessities, healing their sicknesses and 
teaching them the way of life. Let us not fail 
to remember and act on the injunction that we 



OF SALVATION. jj 

love our neighbor as ourselves, in full appre- 
ciation of the declaration of the scripture that 
"love is the fulfilling of the law." 

To sum up this study of the true significa- 
tion of the several passages we have been con- 
sidering, I would suggest the following explan- 
atory rendering thereof : If any man will come 
after me, let him disclaim anything on his own 
part as in any way contributing toward his sal- 
vation, and let him set up in his behalf the 
atonement which I am to make on the cross, 
presenting that as his own personal sacrifice, 
and let him follow after me in obedience to my 
teachings and the rule of my life. 

A true and full compliance with the rule 
here laid down, can result only in a full salva- 
tion by faith, and not by works. The mind 
and heart which comprehends the true import 
of these sayings of our Lord, is at once com- 
pelled to assent to the fact that faith, and faith 
alone, is the key that will unlock the realms of 
the blest and spread them out before his enrap- 
tured vision ; that faith in the verities of God's 
word, is the one great and only necessity for 
an experience of those blessings which are 



34 CHRIST'S PLAN 

promised to those who put their confidence 
therein. But since it is "with the heart that 
man believeth unto righteousness," a mental 
acceptance of the plan of salvation as laid down 
in the Word, will not suffice. A mere mental 
assent to the proposition that we cannot save 
ourselves, and that if saved at all, it must be 
by some power outside of and greater than 
ourselves, is not an equivalent for the denial 
required by our Lorc> in his command. A 
mental belief in the facts of the great atone- 
ment, and an acquiescence in the doctrine of 
salvation by faith, will not secure to us the 
results which are only promised to faithful fol- 
lowers, viz. : the forgiveness of our sins, and 
a knowledge of the fact that we have been 
accepted into the family of God. "The devils 
believe and tremble," and so do men. 

Let me urge you then to cease doing right 
as a means of securing the favor of God, but 
let your doing of those things which are right 
be the outgushing of your love for Christ and 
for your neighbor; a spontaneous proof that 
you, having denied yourself and lifted up your 
cross, have received your proof of the accept- 



OF SALVATION. 35 

ance of the offering made, and that you are fol- 
lowing your Redeemer in the doing of those 
things which since his ascension to the right 
hand of the Father, he has left for his children 
here on earth to do for him. 

When you shall have comprehended the true 
import of the words of the Lord Jesus which 
we have been examining, you will cease to 
think or speak of the cross as a load to be borne 
along a rugged road with great difficulty, and 
with the odds against your ability to carry it to 
your hoped for destination ; but rather you will 
come to think and speak of the cross as a joy- 
ous exercise in the merit of the atonement, 
which daily you present at the throne of grace 
as your only plea for notice and acceptance, 
and through which you are given to know that 
you are accepted, that your sins are pardoned, 
that you are on terms of intimacy with the 
Father through His adorable Son, that you are 
an heir of God, and a joint heir with Jesus 
Christ, to an inheritance with them that are 
sanctified. And further, be assured that if you 
have loads to carry, it is time that you examine 
yourselves and determine wherefore you are 






j6 CHRIST'S PLAN. 

chastened. " Whom the Lord loveth He 
chasteneth." When you are loaded down 
with the corrections of the Lord, fail not to 
hasten to your altar of prayer, and there 
renouncing yourself in humble submission to 
His will, lift up your cross, even the atone- 
ment, as your plea for pardon, for relief. 
Rely on this and on this alone. He has prom- 
ised to accept the plea ; make it unreservedly, 
and the loads which oppress you, shall vanish 
from your sight as the morning dew under the 
rays of a brilliant sun. 

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the 
whole family in heaven and earth is named, 
that He would grant you, according to the 
riches of His glory, to be strengthened with 
might by His Spirit in the inner man ; that 
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; that 
ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be 
able to comprehend with all saints what is the 
breadth and length, and depth and height, and 
to know the love of Christ which passeth 
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the 
fullness of God." 



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